Elvie Curve is a reinvented breast pump for modern mothers
Rodd design studio turned wasted breast milk into a product innovation challenge with Elvie, revealing how empathy and strategic thinking can create accessible solutions.
Every day, nursing mothers lose precious ounces of breast milk to absorbent pads, as during letdown while nursing on one breast, the other often releases milk simultaneously. For mothers who produce lots of milk, it amounts to significant waste, while for those who struggle with supply, even losing a few drops can be upsetting.
When Elvie, a leading force in femtech, approached Rodd with a challenge to extend its product line, the British design studio saw an opportunity to resolve this issue. The result is a passive silicone breast pump that allows gentle milk expression with ease, simply activated by natural suction and capturing up to 5 ounces of milk.
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Rodd is an industrial design and innovation studio based in Hampshire that has spent over two decades partnering with global consumer brands and ambitious scale-ups to create products that combine creativity, strategic thinking, and responsibility. This last word, responsibility, is crucial to being a good designer, and its use can really be seen in this project. It is essential to feel responsible when creating new objects that will be distributed in the world, both for the environment and for the humans that will use them, particularly as this case is about new mothers, an often overlooked but vital category.
Rodd’s approach thus began where all responsible design should: with the actual people who would use the product. The design team immersed itself in the living experiences of new mothers, conducting extensive user research into the struggles and challenges of feeding their children. This approach produced insight, especially into the diversity found between different mothers and their milk production, as well as into their thoughts and feelings during this delicate time.
Armed with this knowledge, Rodd then organised creative workshops that brought together diverse expertise, from technical experts who understood the engineering constraints to more empathic designers who focused on the product experience. The process then moved towards prototyping, testing, and refining, with a focus on uncomplicated aesthetics and especially on affordability. The final product is simple and low-cost, as a key goal of Elvie was to create an economically accessible device.
Unlike traditional manual pumps that require attention and awkward positioning, Elvie Curve tucks discreetly into a nursing bra, allowing it to be worn comfortably anywhere. A soft silicone pouch fits into a protective frame that follows the natural shape of the breast, and by pressing the pouch, mothers can create a natural and delicate suction that actively expresses milk. The sleek and discreet process is a fundamental characteristic, as it allows to collect milk without the usual batteries, cords, or noise.
The collaboration between Rodd and Elvie on Elvie Curve offers a model on how to approach responsible innovation in femtech and beyond. It starts with listening to users instead of assuming their needs, using different kinds of expertise, and maintaining quality and thoughtfulness even when the product is meant to be low-cost. By approaching design with a 360° attitude, products become true innovations for their users, gradually improving their experiences and quality of life.
